Jim Ahern,
RE: James Ahern of Ballindangan
Jim, I found through Ancestry.com that you and I are DNA matches. I descend from a Michael Kelleher and Mary Neil of Manning Townland, Glanworth. I also found you on GEDmatch. Based on these two sources and the context of shared matches on GEDmatch, it seems most likely that you and I are matched through Mary Neil who was originally from Curraghoo which is north of Glanworth town and closer to Ballindangan. Today I have been doing some research into your family to see how we may be connected. I saw that James Ahern and Mary Ryan's first daughter born in 1869 was listed as born in Flemingstown - that peaked my curiosity because recently another Neil DNA match cousin posited whether the common history for the two of us might not be in Flemingstown.
In any event, I found more records today that might be of interest to you. I believe that James' parents were Patrick Ahern, the tailor, (as you noted) and a Catherine Cusick/Cusack. I have found a number of baptisms for a Patrick Ahern and Catherine Cusick (various spellings). These include: Francis (1841), Anna (1842), John (1844), Ellen (1847), another Ellen (1855). I did not find James. However, on irishgenealogy.ie I then found the death records for Patrick Ahern, tailor, Ballindangan, in 1888 at age 80, widowed, and then for Catherine Ahern, Ballindangan, 1871, age 52. Both of these deaths were registered by their son, James, in Kildorrery. This differs from your tree which shows that Patrick Ahern's wife was Ellen Sullivan - but I think that these records knit together pretty well to show that Patrick and Catherine are the parents.
I also looked at a number of records from the Petty Sessions court records that describe a number of incidents of "trespass" of goats and other animals from the property of Patrick Ahern, tailor of Ballindangan, and, later, James Ahern, tailor of Ballindangan onto the property of a neighbor, John Wall. Looking at the Tithe Applotment Books, there is a Francis Ahern living in Ballindangan in 1825 - and adjacent to a John Wall. Since both Patrick Ahern and James Ahern had sons named Francis, I suspect that this Francis Ahern is the father of Patrick Ahern (1808-1888).
I am sending you a similar message through Ancestry.com.
Patrick Murphy,
Chicago, IL